


The Jade Earring

by notallbees



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Bottom Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Concubine Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Dissociation, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Violence, Misunderstandings, Oral Sex, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Top Claude von Riegan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:47:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25510816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/pseuds/notallbees
Summary: The halls were quiet as Dimitri made his way toward Claude's private rooms, and the air was cool in comparison with the stifling heat outside. Dimitri found himself slowing his pace and enjoying the reprieve after a fruitless morning spent travelling in the sun.He realised that he was daydreaming when the sound of voices along the hallway snapped him out of his reverie. Dimitri cocked his head, trying to make out what they were saying in Almyran. It occurred to him that he'd spent far too much time around Claude, if he was now eavesdropping out of habit."Do you think he'll marry her?""Why else would he bring another outsider here from Fódlan?"After escaping to Almyra together at the start of the war, Dimitri has lived as King Khalid's concubine for several years. Their lives together are a delicate balance, which Dimitri fears might be ruined forever if the King decides to wed.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 178
Collections: Dimiclaude





	The Jade Earring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pokerharem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pokerharem/gifts).



> phew I'm delighted to finally put this out there. blues and i started talking about this story _months_ ago, but a few patches of writer's block meant it took me a lot longer than expected to finish!
> 
> please check out the wonderful art blues has created to go along with this story (links through art and in end notes!)
> 
> **Warning** : please be aware this story features nsfw images embedded in the text.

It was afternoon by the time Dimitri returned to the Palace with his retinue in tow. They had set out that morning, bound for the summer palace near the Southern border, but they had only ridden an hour outside of the capital before they discovered that the early onset of the monsoon season had caused part of the main road to collapse. One of the soldiers suggested an alternate route, which seemed promising until the noise of their wagons disturbed a wild wyvern that had nested close to the road, and they were forced to beat a hasty retreat when she swooped down on their caravan in defence of her clutch. 

Dimitri caused alarm amongst the servants by leaping down from his carriage to assist the soldiers in turning the horses and wagons around, and was quickly ushered back to his seat with a great deal of muttering and fearful glances. Dimitri knew enough Almyran to understand that they were worried about offending the King by putting his prized treasure to work, but he also knew better than to reveal that he'd understood. There was nothing to do but let himself be herded back into the carriage and sit while they made the weary journey back to the Palace. 

A flurry of activity ensued upon their return, and Dimitri slipped away from the chaos as soon as he was able. He hadn't particularly wanted to make the journey alone in any case. Something important had come up that Claude needed to be present for, but he'd insisted on Dimitri travelling ahead, intending to make the journey himself a day or two later. 

The halls were quiet as Dimitri made his way toward Claude's private rooms, and the air was cool in comparison with the stifling heat outside. Dimitri found himself slowing his pace and enjoying the reprieve after a fruitless morning spent travelling in the sun. He paused by a window overlooking one of the courtyards, and breathed in the heady scents of jasmine and rose. When he first came to Almyra at eighteen, he'd still had almost no sense of taste or smell, but it had gradually returned to him over the years he'd spent there. He couldn't imagine being without it again: not being able to taste the sweat on Claude's skin, or smell the familiar scent of his hair. 

He realised that he was daydreaming when the sound of voices along the hallway snapped him out of his reverie. Dimitri cocked his head, trying to make out what they were saying in Almyran. It occurred to him that he'd spent far too much time around Claude, if he was now eavesdropping out of habit. 

"Do you think he'll marry her?"

"Why else would the Exalted bring another outsider here from Fódlan?"

Dimitri's insides turned to ice. There had been rumours flying around the palace for months that Claude intended to marry soon, and a frustrating amount of such talk happened within earshot of Dimitri, thanks in part to the servants' belief that he didn't speak a word of Almyran, and partly due to the fact that he was, in essence, no more than a well-kept pet. He could no more give Claude a child than could his wyvern, which was all anyone in Almyra seemed to care about. 

Breathing through the sudden ache in his chest, Dimitri realised the servants were still talking.

"What if they've come to claim him back?"

"Who?"

"You know. _Him_. The barbarian."

"Oh, don't be silly."

"No? What about this business of sending him away early?" 

"Obviously the Exalted wanted to meet with His future bride in private!"

Dimitri didn't hear the rest. His chest ached, and there was a sharp pain in his gut. Feeling sick, he turned and strode along the hallway, toward the centre of the Palace. The main audience chamber stood empty, without even a guard in sight. In fact, he'd seen suspiciously few people since his return. He turned a corner, and came face to face with Sariah, Claude's advisor and friend, whose eyes widened at the sight of him.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, relief soothing her features. "I've had everyone looking for you."

"Why?" Dimitri growled, stepping back as she approached him. "So you could keep me from finding out?"

Something passed over Sariah's face, quick as a flash, but Dimitri was too used to reading Claude to miss even such a brief slip. "Khalid is still meeting with the ambassador, but perhaps you'd like to—"

"Don't lie to me, Sariah."

"Dimitri," she sighed. "Listen to me, you're in no danger, I—"

"I want to see him."

Sariah's face hardened. "He's busy."

"Then later, please—"

She shook her head. "Not today." She stepped closer and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Go back to your room, get some rest." Her hand pressed down harder, and after a moment her face softened. "Perhaps I can arrange for you to see him tonight."

Dimitri clenched his jaw, and nodded. There was no use arguing any further, least of all with Sariah. She was Claude's oldest friend, and his most trusted advisor, not to mention strong and quick with a blade. Dimitri wouldn't get very far trying to disobey her. Instead, he took a step back, making as though to turn back for his own rooms, though he ducked aside into an alcove as soon as he was out of sight. 

After waiting until Sariah had left, Dimitri crept back toward the audience chambers. One of the benefits to his size and reputation around the palace was that nobody ever suspected him capable of subterfuge. Dimitri tried a few doors, but his anxiety only rose as he found each room empty. The desperation in his chest began to swell, taking him over. He couldn't stop thinking of what Claude might be doing, or who he might be doing it with. Dimitri had never thought of himself as a particularly jealous person, but then Claude had rarely given him reason to be. To the best of his knowledge, Claude hadn't lain with another since long before they became lovers, and not since. The thought of him doing so now made Dimitri flush hot, and his hands tingled as he tried door after door. 

He passed one guard, who eyed him suspiciously, but didn't try to stop him. Curious, Dimitri moved up to the door. There were voices within. 

"No visitors," the guard said in a gruff voice.

Dimitri drew himself up, and put his shoulders back. "The King asked for me."

The guard rolled his eyes, and muttered something obscene under his breath that Dimitri didn't fully understand, but gathered that it was a comment on him using certain gifts, chiefly his mouth. Dimitri ignored him; he could hear Claude inside, the warm, familiar timbre of his voice. He eyed the guard, then he moved forward and flung the door open quickly. 

The door bounced off the wall with a loud crash, and Dimitri heard the scrape of metal behind him as the guard reached for his weapon. Claude flung out his arm, ordering the guard to halt, though he didn't take his eyes off Dimitri. 

"Mitya." Claude's voice was almost a whisper. He didn't look angry, as Dimitri might have expected, rather he had a hunted look, like a cornered animal. Dimitri had rarely seen him look like that before, and the sight turned his stomach. Though that was nothing compared to what he saw as his gaze flickered over the assembled party, passing over Claude and settling on the woman beside him. Dimitri stared for a moment in shock. At best, he'd expected to interrupt a dowry negotiation; at worst, a stolen kiss and wandering hands. He hadn't prepared for this. 

For several moments he could only stands there, struck dumb, as apparently was everyone else in the room. Finally, he found his voice, and his lip curled as he spoke. 

"Edelgard."

She looked much as he remembered her. Pale and rigid at Claude's side, she wore a thin gown in deference to the heat, and her fine, pale hair was piled neatly on top of her head, but although her face was older and thinner, there was no mistaking her.

They stared at one another for several moments, Edelgard clearly as shocked as he was, but she recovered first.

"I see you keep a pet," Edelgard said in a cool voice, and glanced at Claude. Her expression was unreadable aside from a raised eyebrow. "Is it housetrained?"

Hubert, standing nearby of course, chuckled softly. At Claude's shoulder stood Sariah, staring at Dimitri in horror. 

"Speak to me again," Dimitri growled, taking a step closer, "and I'll rip your head from your shoulders before you can draw another breath."

Edelgard seemed undaunted. "It even speaks," she said, and turned slightly to share a smile with Hubert. "How amusing."

Before he could think, Dimitri started forward, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was distantly aware of Hubert raising his gloved hands, of Edelgard's pale eyes widening as he approached, but then Claude was on his feet between them, arms outstretched. Claude's mouth was open as though he was shouting, but Dimitri heard nothing. He didn't even hear his own voice screaming, barely aware of anything but the white hot rage surging through him, even as he was seized and dragged from the room. 

The guards pulled him out into the hallway and dropped him none too gently on the floor. Dimitri struggled to his feet, unable to think of anything but Edelgard, and getting Claude away from her. Before he could act on his feelings, the door opened again and Claude stepped out into the hallway. He was pale, his eyes narrowed. He stalked toward Dimitri, waving the guards away, and glared up at him. 

"What were you _thinking_?" Claude hissed.

"What was _I_ thinking?" Dimitri snarled, his eyes flicking from Claude's face to the closed door behind him. His blood sizzled when he thought of who sat behind it, and he tried to form words, to ask what Claude intended, but he was too paralysed by rage to make sense of his thoughts. 

"Talks with Fódlan have been difficult," Claude said, his voice carefully measured. "You know that."

Dimitri hissed through his clenched teeth. "So, what? You'll take that snake as your bride? Or is she here to collect my head at last?"

Claude made a sound of frustration. "Of course not! You saw the way she reacted, she didn't even know you were _here_."

"She probably assumed you had me rotting in a cell somewhere," Dimitri growled. "That's what _she_ would've done."

"And I am not Edelgard," Claude said coldly. 

Dimitri's lip curled. "Your behaviour suggests otherwise," he spat. 

Claude drew back from him, his expression clouding. "I see," he muttered, glancing away. "I think you should go and cool off in your rooms. I must return to my guests."

"Claude—"

"No," Claude said, flat and cold. "Enough ."

Dimitri scowled at him as he turned away. Claude didn't look at him again as he slipped back into the audience chamber, but he did gesture to the guards, who moved over to accompany Dimitri back to his rooms. Dimitri didn't argue. If either of the guards spoke to him, he didn't hear it over the rushing in his ears. 

When they reached his rooms, he was ushered inside, and the lock clicked behind him. Dimitri paced back and forth for some time. He couldn't stop picturing the scene in the audience chamber; Claude's strange expression when he saw Dimitri walk in; Edelgard's smug smile as she realised what he was. Dimitri looked down at himself, grimacing faintly. It hadn't occurred to him before now to be embarrassed, but seeing Edelgard and Hubert in their fussy, buttoned-up Fódlaner clothing threw his own attire into sharp relief. The only saving grace was that, since he'd been travelling that day, he was more conservatively dressed than usual, his bare flesh mostly covered with a loose robe, although he still wore a great deal of ornament that marked him as the King's concubine. 

He stopped pacing and started to tear off the jewelry piece by piece, pulling off heavy gold bangles and cuffs and tossing them aside. Rings and studs bounced and skittered across the floor, some of them rolling out of sight. Finally unadorned, Dimitri began to tug impatiently at his hair, pulling loose the braid and letting his hair hang loose around his face. He was breathing hard by the time he finished, his eyes stinging with furious tears. He turned blindly, wincing when he stepped on a gold bangle and felt it buckle under his weight. Crossing to the table, he swept it with his arm, knocking books and papers and an elegant tea service onto the floor with a loud crash. It wasn't enough. He opened his dresser and began to tear out swathes of cotton and silk, throwing carefully folded items of clothing to either side, scattering them wherever they fell. 

Some small, distant part of him knew that he was behaving like a child, but he didn't have the wherewithal to make himself stop. He tore through the rest of the room, overturning furniture and tearing his bed coverings to shreds. He wanted desperately to dispel the fire that raged in his chest, but each act of destruction only fanned the flames, stirring him to a frenzy, until he could do no more than fall to his knees and scream out his fury, a pitiful roar that burned his throat. The sound fell limp in the close air of his room, and was quickly swallowed up by an agonising silence, broken only by the sound of birdsong from outside the window. 

Dimitri sank back, hitting the floor with a bump, though he scarcely noticed it. He curled in on himself, putting his head in his arms and squeezing his eyes shut, trying to block out the swirl of thoughts inside his head.

—

The sky was beginning to bruise and darken when there was a soft knock at the door. Dimitri ignored it, still slumped on the floor where he'd let himself drop several hours earlier. The knock came again, a little louder. 

"Mitya, it's me." Claude. His voice was gentle. "Please, let me come in. We need to talk."

Dimitri stirred, wincing at the stiffness of his arms and legs. When he spoke, his voice was brittle, his mouth dry. "We have nothing to discuss."

"Yes, we do." Claude was quiet for several moments. "You know I won't unlock this door unless you ask me to." 

With a groan, Dimitri heaved himself to his feet. "Come in then," he sighed. 

There was the click of a key turning, then Claude pushed open the door and stepped inside. He stood for several moments with his back against the door, while Dimitri watched him from across the room. Claude's gaze flickered briefly to a point over Dimitri's shoulder, before darting back to his face. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Dimitri snorted. "Is _she_ still here?" 

Claude raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you going to do if I say yes?" He glanced around at the havoc Dimitri had wreaked in the room. "Break down her door? Attack her with a butterknife?"

Dimitri gritted his teeth. "You know I could not—" He broke off, his eyes stinging once more. "After what she did, she would be _fortunate_ to receive a merciful death."

Claude clicked his tongue. "And what then? Murdering the ruler of a foreign nation under my own roof? I'd be forced to put you to death."

"Perhaps death is what I deserve for abandoning my people," Dimitri snapped back. 

"They're not your people anymore!" 

Dimitri stared at him, his mouth falling open. "What am I then?" he asked, his voice shaking. His fingernails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists tightly. "Not a king. Not even a Fódlaner anymore."

"Dimitri—"

"What am I?" Dimitri shouted. 

Claude's brows drew in, and his voice was sad when he spoke again. "You're alive."

Dimitri hesitated, some of the rage spilling out of him. "How could you bring her here?" he whispered. "After what she did to us..."

Claude didn't react. He held Dimitri's gaze steadily. 

"Aren't you going to say anything to me?" Dimitri demanded. 

Claude shook his head. "What could I say that would make this better?"

Dimitri's eyes burned. "How could you?" he hissed. "My family—your grandfather, our _friends_ , how could you just— _forgive_ her?"

"I never said I'd forgiven her," Claude said in a calm voice. 

"Then what is she doing here?" Dimitri hissed, hoping against hope that there would be some reason, some explanation for Claude keeping this from him. "She—she destroyed _everything_ , Claude, I—"

"And she could do it again," Claude said, letting anger creep into his voice for the first time. "Almyra and Fódlan have been sniping at each other for decades. You saw what Edelgard did in Fódlan. I will _not_ let that happen here."

Dimitri grimaced. "I don't understand. Why invite her _here_?" His face darkened. "Behind my back—"

"I knew you'd be angry," Claude sighed. "And I—"

"Of course I'm angry!" 

"Dimitri—"

"Why didn't you _tell me_?"

"I was trying to protect you!" Claude shouted. He was breathing heavily too now, and they stared at one another across the room, wary and intent. Claude took a deep breath and sighed it out. "That's all I've ever tried to do," he continued, more gently. "Mitya, I—"

Dimitri was already crossing the room. He slammed his hand against the door, beside Claude's head, blocking him in with his body. "Promise me you wouldn't betray me to her," he hissed.

Claude stared up at him, his chest rising and falling sharply. "Never."

"Promise you won't lie to me again," Dimitri growled, bending closer to Claude's ear. 

Claude gave an unmistakable shudder, and looked away. "I—"

" _Promise_ me," Dimitri hissed, his eyes stinging. 

"Would you believe me if I did?" Claude murmured, glancing up at him. "I've lied to you before."

Dimitri grimaced. "Claude—"

"Remember the academy?" Claude asked, dully. "When I told you my name was Claude, and I was from the Alliance?"

"Stop," Dimitri whispered, moving back half a step.

"Remember when we escaped into Almyra," Claude continued, voice climbing slightly. He pushed away from the door, stalking closer to Dimitri. "And after we were captured, the guards told you I'd been sent off in exchange for a bounty?"

Dimitri covered his face. "No. Stop it."

"I told them to say it, while I came here, to my family. I left you rotting in that prison for weeks."

"You had to," Dimitri whispered. "Your family would've had me killed."

Claude shook his head. "It doesn't _matter_ , don't you see?"

"Please stop," Dimitri begged, hot tears coursing down his cheeks. "Claude, don't—"

There was a pause. When Claude spoke again, his voice was achingly soft. "You deserve so much better." 

Dimitri's gut plunged as an aching chasm opened up, deep and dizzying. A sob choked him, and he clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to hold it in. He'd long feared the day that Claude would tire of him, and want to be rid of him. He gasped in a breath, his chest suddenly tight. It felt as though he couldn't get enough air, and he turned away, his chest and shoulders heaving as his breathing became faster. 

"Dimitri—" 

A hand brushed Dimitri's shoulder, but in his panicked state, he lashed out without thinking. There was a dull, wet smack of his fist hitting flesh, followed by a thud and a loud _crack_. Dimitri whirled round in time to see Claude's eyes roll back as he crumpled to the floor. 

Dimitri looked at him in horror. There was a faint smear of blood on the door, while Claude lay awkwardly at his feet: face down, limbs splayed. 

"Oh no, no no," Dimitri murmured. He dropped to his knees at Claude's side, and grabbing his shoulder he rolled him over onto his back. Claude's eyelids fluttered, and Dimitri released a breath. "Claude? Can you hear me?"

There was no response. Heart pounding, Dimitri cupped Claude's neck carefully, but it didn't seem to be damaged. Sliding his hand up to the back of Claude's head, he winced when he felt a large swelling from where he'd hit the door. When Dimitri pulled his hand away, his fingers were bloody. Grimacing, Dimitri slid his arms under Claude's shoulders and knees and lifted him gently, moving him over to the dismantled bed and laying him down atop the ripped sheets. 

Dimitri hovered for a moment, uncertain what to do; he ought to fetch a healer, but he didn't want to leave Claude alone. He didn't know enough Faith magic himself, and risked doing more harm than good if he tried to intervene. In desperation, he reached out for the bell cord beside the bed and pulled it sharply. 

A servant knocked at the door a few minutes later, looking bewildered; Dimitri was rarely in his own rooms, and when he was, he never called for the servants. Dimitri dispatched her with an urgent request for the King's healer, then returned to his vigil at Claude's side. 

"...Mitya?" Claude murmured after a minute or so, eyes fluttering open.

Dimitri's heart slammed against his ribs, and he seized Claude's hand tightly. "Claude? Are you alright? Can you speak?"

Claude grimaced, his eyes slipping shut again. "So bright." He groaned and tried to reach up with the hand Dimitri was holding to touch the back of his head. "My head—what happened?"

"I—" Dimitri's eyes stung again. "Claude—I'm so sorry, I—"

"Mitya…?" Claude groped for his hand. Then, he winced, turned his head away, and vomited across the torn sheets.

Dimitri hurried to turn him onto his side, guilt ripping him to shreds inwardly as he listened to Claude cough and splutter. The healer arrived a few minutes later. She only spoke Almyran, and she took one look around at the state of his room before ushering him out into the halls with a stern look. Dimitri didn't protest. 

Too restless to wait outside in the hallway, Dimitri began to walk, though he had no particular destination in mind. He wandered aimlessly, dimly aware of the sky growing darker without. Claude's rooms weren't far from his own; he passed them, pausing in the doorway to breathe in Claude's familiar scent, then carried on along the hallway until he reached the place he'd stopped earlier that day. This time, he stepped outside into the courtyard, seating himself on a low bench and looking up at the dark night sky. A vast swathe of stars was already visible, and Dimitri stared up at the distant, winking lights. 

He could barely make sense of his thoughts; his mind hadn't felt so disturbed in years, and he had no idea how long he'd been sitting there, staring up at the sky, when he heard the whisper of footsteps across the courtyard.

Dimitri glanced round quickly, and his heart started to pound once more when he saw Claude, silhouetted in the doorway. 

"There you are," Claude said, his voice faintly reproachful. "I've been looking for you."

Dimitri frowned. "You ought to be resting." 

"Not you too," Claude sighed. He stepped out into the courtyard, and moved over to sit on the bench with Dimitri, leaving a generous space between them. 

Dimitri swallowed heavily. "Are you well?"

Claude nodded. "One hell of a headache, but no lasting damage." 

They sat together in silence for several minutes. It was so quiet in the courtyard, but besides the faint sound of running water, Dimitri could hear a nightbird singing somewhere close by, and crickets provided a low background chorus. Claude's silence weighed on Dimitri heavily; he looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers together. He tried to formulate an apology in his head, but all the words seemed inadequate. And he could think of only one thing he could offer to atone for what he'd done, but he knew Claude wouldn't approve of his suggestion.

"I owe you an apology," Claude said at last, breaking the silence.

Dimitri turned and blinked at him. He felt certain he must have misheard. "...What?"

"Edelgard," Claude said, sighing. "I shouldn't have agreed to host talks here without discussing it with you first."

Startled, Dimitri looked down at his hands again. His eyes began to sting, and he bit the inside of his cheek hard to suppress the urge to weep once more. 

"Please forgive me," Claude continued softly. "I was selfish and arrogant. I thought I could...arrange everything, without troubling you. I just—" He laughed quietly, without humour. "I didn't want you to worry anymore."

"Please stop," Dimitri whispered, his throat tight and painful. He squeezed his hands together tightly. "Please, I—whatever you did, I acted unforgivably. I was—" He paused grimacing. "Vicious, and—and I _hurt_ you. I—I could have killed you." Dimitri got down from the bench, kneeling before Claude and bowing his head. "I-I'm s-so sorry. Please—accept my—my most humble apologies."

"Dimitri—you don't have to do this."

Tears spilled over Dimitri's cheeks once more, and he hung his head lower, clutching at the hem of Claude's clothing. "Please," he whispered. "Exalted. T-take my life. It is all I have to offer, and I give it freely."

Silence followed his words. Finally, Claude reached down and gently cupped his cheek. "Dimitri." He slid his finger under Dimitri's chin, tilting his face up. "I am the one who should be making obeisance. I broke your trust. I apologise."

Dimitri grimaced. "But—"

"No, love," Claude murmured. He slid his hand up to Dimitri's ear and tugged his earlobe gently, making Dimitri shiver. "Where's your earring?"

Dimitri faltered. In his hurry to rid himself of all the ornamentation that had made him feel so foolish in front of Edelgard, he'd removed the jade earring that marked him as Claude's concubine, that bound them together as companions. "I—"

Claude smiled sadly. "Mitya." He cupped Dimitri's face gently. "If you want to leave, I won't force you to stay."

"No!" Dimitri said quickly, clutching at Claude's robes. "No, please— _please_ don't send me away. Claude, I—I only want to be near you."

"You don't have to have this life," Claude said, holding his gaze steady, his bright eyes piercing. "I could find somewhere safe for you. Perhaps, if talks with Edelgard go smoothly, you could even go home, to Faerghus…"

Dimitri grimaced. For a long time, he'd dreamed of his homeland, and perhaps, had Claude offered such a thing when they had first travelled to Almyra, Dimitri might have accepted. "Do you...want me to go?" he murmured.

"I want you to be happy," Claude said, a faint frown drawing his soft eyebrows together. "I want—for you to be able to trust me." 

"Then let me stay," Dimitri begged. "Please, I—I love you."

Claude bit his lip. Bending forward, he kissed Dimitri's forehead, then his damp cheek. Tilting Dimitri's face up, Claude kissed him gently. "I love you too," he whispered. He lifted his hands to Dimitri's face and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Come to bed with me, love."

Dimitri closed his eyes, sighing softly. "Yes," he whispered. 

Smiling, Claude stood and offered his hands to Dimitri. They made their way back to Claude's rooms, where several lanterns burned low. 

"Come here," Claude murmured, as Dimitri shut the door behind them. As he approached, Claude lifted his arms. "Help me undress."

Dimitri nodded, and did as he asked. First he unwound the heavy sash from around Claude's waist, then drew off the layers of his fine robes. Claude had dressed with particular care that morning, while Dimitri lay watching him from the bed. Looking back, he'd realised that something was wrong, but Claude had brushed off his concerns, and Dimitri hadn't wanted to press. 

"Are you sure you're quite well?" he murmured, skimming his hands lightly along Claude's bare arms. "Can I do anything?"

Claude took hold of Dimitri's clothing and pulled him closer. "Just a little bruised," he murmured. He loosened the belt around Dimitri's robe. "But I've no doubt you can make me feel better." 

Dimitri nodded, and lowered his head to kiss him as Claude slowly drew his clothing off him. 

This, he had always adored, from the first time he and Claude kissed. The way Claude parted his mouth slowly, the soft skin of his damp lips clinging to Dimitri's for a moment before Dimitri deepened it. Claude came against him with a soft, longing exhalation, putting his arms around Dimitri's shoulders and threading the fingers of his left hand into Dimitri's hair. 

"Mitya," he sighed.

Dimitri bent his knees and scooped Claude up in his arms, carrying him over to the bed, where he laid him carefully among the pillows. He put his hands to Claude's hips, stripping him out of the remainder of his clothing, and kicked off his own trousers before joining him on the bed. 

"Tell me again," he whispered as he covered Claude's naked body with his own. 

Claude smiled and caught a hand in his hair again, spinning the fine gold strands around his fingers. "I love you."

Dimitri's eyes stung. "Tell me you'd never betray me."

"Never," Claude promised, pressing his other hand to Dimitri's cheek. "Mitya, never."

Trying to ignore the tightness in his throat, his burning vision, Dimitri lowered his head and kissed Claude with slow longing. It was difficult to let himself give up the soft wonder of Claude's mouth, but he forced himself to withdraw after a minute or two, instead pressing his lips to the underside of Claude's jaw, at the neatly threaded line of his beard. He moved lower, kissing Claude's throat, lingering to suck on the tempting swell of his adam's apple, and the salty hollow of his throat below it. Slipping one of his legs between Claude's thighs, he pressed his hip against Claude's burgeoning erection, and lowered his head to tongue one of his soft brown nipples, eagerly bringing it to a peak against his lips.

"You don't need to serve me, love," Claude murmured, as Dimitri followed the path of his own hand, trailing down Claude's stomach, nuzzling the trail of dark hair that led down the centre of his chest. Claude's fingers were still in his hair, grasping loosely as Dimitri moved to his side. "Mitya."

"Let me," Dimitri murmured, sighing happily when his lips reached their goal, nudging against the velvet warmth of Claude's cock. He took it in his mouth slowly, savouring the faint, salty taste, the heat of him. It bloomed on his tongue as he began to pleasure Claude, stiffening against the roof of his mouth, and he made an appreciative sound in his throat. 

"You should at least have let me bathe first," Claude chided. He sighed as Dimitri began to pleasure him, and his fingers tightened in Dimitri's hair. "Gods, Mitya—I, nn—I want, mmm, _more_."

Dimitri didn't lift his head, focusing on using his tongue, on the way he let Claude's cock move in and out of his mouth slowly. In his mind though, he couldn't help imagining what _more_ might mean. Claude had been so busy of late, they had scarcely found much time to be intimate for weeks. It had been part of their reason for travelling South; Claude needed a vacation from his duties, and Dimitri craved some quality time with his lover, instead of his King. 

When he felt Claude shifting impatiently beneath him, he lifted his head and used his hand to stroke Claude slowly instead. "Claude."

Claude smiled at him. "Teasing me now, love?" he murmured, cupping Dimitri's cheek in his hand and stroking his wet lower lip with his thumb. "Is this my punishment?"

Dimitri shook his head, but before he could respond, his stomach answered for him with a loud gurgle. "Ah…"

Claude's eyes widened. "You haven't eaten."

"No, I—"

"Oh, Mitya, I'm so sorry, I didn't think—" Claude pulled away from him and tugged on the bell cord beside his bed. 

Dimitri reached out too late to stop him. "I'm really okay—"

"You need to _eat_ ," Claude insisted, pressing him down against the bed. "Have you even eaten since breakfast?"

"I…"

Claude snorted. "Well then."

When one of the servants answered Claude's summons, he arranged for some supper to be brought for them both, then pulled Dimitri back down into the tangled sheets with him. For some time, they simply traded lazy kisses, Claude reeling him back in each time he tried to move away. When a servant finally arrived to serve their food, Dimitri took his chance to escape. After years as Claude's concubine, he was accustomed to the servants seeing him in various states of undress, so he didn't bother dressing before he went into the bathroom. After wetting his face with cool water to soothe the lingering ache of his tears, he wet a cloth and wiped away the sweat of the morning's travel, and the afternoon's anxiety. 

Claude had half dressed himself in a loose robe when he returned, and Dimitri did the same before joining him to feast. 

"At least one good thing came of this mess," Claude murmured, reaching out to catch a curl of Dimitri's hair. "We can travel South together tomorrow." He smiled wearily. "If you still want to go, that is."

Dimitri nodded. "Very much."

Claude's smile widened. "I'll need to meet with Edelgard in the morning, but I'm hopeful we can leave before noon." Dimitri's joy faded at the mention of his sworn enemy. Noticing his sinking mood, Claude leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Don't look so worried. I won't let any harm come to you."

Nodding, Dimitri tried to push down his ill feeling and swallowed his mouthful of food. But try as he might to contain them, the words spilled out of him before he could stop them. "Do you intend to marry?"

Claude stopped chewing and looked at him in surprise. "Marry Edelgard?"

"Marry anyone," Dimitri said, then looked aside with a huff. "It matters not."

"Mitya," Claude said, frowning. "Of course it matters. Who told you I was getting married?"

Dimitri heaved a sigh. "Everyone has been talking of it for months, don't pretend you haven't noticed."

"Just because I pay attention to palace gossip, doesn't mean I put any stock in what I hear."

"Who will continue the succession if you don't sire a child?" Dimitri asked impatiently. 

"Who says there'll be a succession?" Claude replied tartly, lifting an eyebrow. 

Dimitri floundered. "What do you mean?"

Claude sighed and passed a hand over his eyes. "I don't want to get into this while I have a headache." He held out his hand, beckoning Dimitri closer to him, and hummed happily when Dimitri came into his arms and tucked up against his side. "I've thought about dissolving the throne, eventually."

"...Dissolving it?"

"Mm. You saw what a nightmare it caused for me and my family." Claude let out a slow exhalation, idly stroking his fingers through Dimitri's hair. "Not to mention, preserving a monarchy like this...it's a little at odds with what I'm trying to do, don't you think?"

Dimitri bit his lip. Claude had posed such a question to him before, but Dimitri had always assumed he'd find some other way around the conundrum, not end the institution altogether. 

"Let's not discuss it tonight," Claude sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of Dimitri's head. 

"Alright," Dimitri murmured, leaning into him contentedly.

Claude rested his chin on Dimitri's head, holding him tighter. "To answer your question," he murmured, "no, I have no intention of marrying."

Dimitri bit the inside of his cheek at the sudden well of emotions that sprung up in his chest. "I—I see." 

"Perhaps, someday," Claude began, though he trailed off.

Anxiety nipped at Dimitri's heels. "Someday?"

Claude shrugged. "Who's to say? Someday, if I'm no longer King, then perhaps you and I will marry." He paused, laughing softly. "If you haven't tired of me by then. And of course, if I'm no longer King, there'll be no more obligation for you to stay with me."

Dimitri's eyes widened, and he pushed himself to a sitting position again and turned to face Claude. "What do you mean? What obligation?" he demanded. "I _love_ you."

Claude's smile was thin. "I hope so."

"I do," Dimitri insisted. "How can you doubt me?"

"I don't, love," Claude murmured, reaching for him gently. "I would never. I only doubt myself. The things I've put you through." He sighed and shook his head. "I just want you to be happy and safe."

"And I am," Dimitri said, "with _you_." He put his arms around Claude, squeezing him tightly. "So you can stop all this talk of sending me away, even if you think it's for my own good." He huffed, burying his face against Claude's collarbone. "You're not right all the time, you know."

Claude laughed. "And thank the gods for that," he said, cuddling Dimitri close. "Being right is a curse."

After a little while, Dimitri rose and moved the empty trays to a small table, then crawled back into the bed beside Claude. They both shed their robes and tangled themselves together beneath the sheets, occasionally trading slow kisses, but for the most part just enjoying the closeness, lazily drawing their hands over one another's bare skin. Claude was the first to fall asleep, and when Dimitri was sure that he was unconscious, he crept back to his own rooms, and searched among the wreckage until he found his jade earring. Pushing it back into his ear where it belonged, he returned to Claude's room, and to his waiting arms. 

—

It was still early when Dimitri woke the next morning, the grey dawn light falling across his pillow. Claude, standing at the window, heard him stir and turned back to face him. 

"Did I wake you, my love?"

Dimitri sat up, blinking slowly. "What are you doing awake?" he asked, and stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. "Is all well?"

"Of course it is," Claude murmured. He crossed to the bed and sat beside Dimitri, placing a gentle hand against his cheek. After a moment, his hand strayed across, and he toyed with Dimitri's earring, smiling faintly. "You found it."

Heat warmed Dimitri's face, spreading out from where Claude touched him. "I told you," he murmured, holding Claude's gaze. "I am yours."

Claude smiled. "I'll miss you."

"You'll see me in a few hours."

"I'll miss you all the same."

Dimitri huffed. "Surely you can't miss me so much in that time."

"Can't I?" Claude reached for one of Dimitri's hands, lifting it to his face and kissing the centre of his palm. "You underestimate the effect you have on me."

"Claude—" Dimitri began to protest, but his voice cut off abruptly when Claude kissed the heel of his palm, then took Dimitri's thumb in his mouth and sucked it slowly. Dimitri groaned. "Claude…"

Claude gave a soft laugh, and leaned in to kiss him, uncaring of Dimitri's sour breath from sleep. "I'm afraid I can't stay. I have a busy morning ahead of me."

Dimitri nodded. But, as Claude pulled away, Dimitri caught hold of his wrist. "Wait, please—don't keep anything from me this time, alright?"

Claude nodded. "I promise."

After he'd gone, Dimitri slept for another hour or two, before rising to bathe and dress, then he whiled away the rest of the morning while Claude was preoccupied. He went at first to put his rooms back in order, only to find that the servants had already tidied the mess. His clothes had been refolded and put away neatly, and the broken objects had either been removed, or laid out upon a table, including the crooked bangle he had stepped on. His bed hadn't yet been replaced, but the broken frame had been removed, along with the ruined sheets. A wave of shame and discomfort rolled over him, and in response Dimitri did something that he hadn't done in a very long time. Going over to the window, he knelt on the tiles, closed his eyes, and began to pray to the Goddess.

—

The journey to the summer palace was long and dry. After their mishaps the previous day, Dimitri and Claude opted to travel on wyvernback instead of by horse. They packed just enough supplies to last them until the wagons arrived a day or so hence, and then they took to the skies together. Even travelling by wyvern, the palace was over a day's flight, and they made camp that night on the foothills of a mountain. It was a joy to see Claude freed from the trappings of his daily life, to enjoy the simple pleasure of hunting together at dusk, of building a fire and cooking a meal, as though they were soldiers again, children once more, with nobody relying on them but one another. 

It was at least two years since they had travelled South, but the palace looked just as Dimitri remembered it, like a jewel sitting on the cliff. The bay it overlooked was only accessible from the palace, and its waters were frequented by whales at that time of year, pods travelling with young. The last time they visited, he and Claude had taken out a boat, and watched a pod of whales surfacing to breathe, the calves clinging close to their mothers. 

After making a few lazy circles, their wyverns landed in the gardens, and a handful of servants hurried out to greet them and help unload their supplies. Once he and Claude had seen the wyverns fed and watered, Claude took his hand, and they made their way down to the sheltered bay. 

Dimitri was used to being paraded around in little to no clothing, to eyes on him wherever he went, and yet he found himself a little shy as he and Claude stripped off their dusty travelling clothes and sat together naked on the hot sand. 

It wasn't that Claude was neglectful of him by habit, but he was busy, often preoccupied. And, as Dimitri had learned early on, his own body was routinely on display not so much for Claude's benefit, but to remind everyone else of what they couldn't have. Now, freed of the weight of other people's demands, Claude looked at him with all the patient longing that Dimitri felt himself. Claude reached for his hand just to kiss it, and rolled him over in the sand for the simple joy of feeling their hot, sun-warmed limbs entangling. They waded down into the ocean, and frolicked in the water like children, playing and splashing, before Dimitri pulled Claude into his arms and licked the salt from his throat, and kissed him until neither of them could breathe. 

One of Claude's mages had once made for Dimitri a charm that kept him from roasting in the Almyran sun, but even with the charm around his neck, he could feel the tingle of the sun lapping at his skin, eager to turn him the colour of a boiled lobster. After they were tired of splashing around, they crawled back onto the sand to dry, curled together despite the heat. 

It wasn't long before the sun dropped behind the cliffs, throwing them into blessed shade. Claude shivered, and Dimitri lay atop him to kiss him languidly, before the two of them finally rose and dressed, eager to go and fill their bellies. 

—

"You're different here," Dimitri observed softly, looking at Claude in the mirror, as the other man patiently brushed his long hair for him. "I can see why you'd think of dissolving the throne."

Claude said nothing at first, although his mouth tightened in the mirror. He parted Dimitri's hair into sections, then swiftly bound it into a braid, his fingers moving deftly through the pale strands. When he'd finished, he stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on the top of Dimitri's head, then laid his hands on his shoulders, looking at him in the mirror. 

"I'm not doing it for selfish reasons," Claude explained. 

Dimitri watched him patiently.

Claude huffed. "Well...not entirely." He put his arms around Dimitri's neck, leaning down to nuzzle the side of his neck. "I never—you and I, this wasn't supposed to happen."

"You thought you'd fall in love with someone else," Dimitri said, nodding.

"No," Claude said, his laughter tickling Dimitri's ear. "I never expected to fall in love at all." He huffed a sigh. "It's not that I imagined I'd be chaste forever, but you know how I feel about siring bastards. As for a wife, how could I take someone as my queen, only to pull the rug out from under her feet later, when I relinquish the throne?" He shook his head, still clinging tightly to Dimitri's shoulders. "My whole life has been driven by _purpose_ , not fancy."

"You could have sent me away," Dimitri murmured.

Claude nodded. "I could. I almost did." He pressed his lips against Dimitri's earlobe. "I'm so grateful that I didn't."

Dimitri turned his head and kissed him softly, reaching up to cup Claude's head with his hand.

"Mitya," Claude whispered, releasing him, drawing away slightly. "This doesn't have to be forever, you know."

"What do you mean?" Dimitri asked, brow creasing. 

Claude cupped his cheek, then tugged at his jade earring. "This. You were bound to me for seven years. After that, you can do whatever you wish."

"Another seven years," Dimitri said fiercely.

Claude laughed. "If you like," he said easily, skirting Dimitri's knee and then sitting down across his thighs. "Or you could do something else. Travel, study, get fat—anything you like."

"But...you and I—"

"I love you, Mitya," Claude said, watching him steadily. "That will not change. I won't stop just because you're no longer my concubine." 

Dimitri swallowed, his mind whirring as he considered Claude's words. "We could still...be together?"

Claude shrugged. "I wouldn't be the first of my line to take a male lover." He smiled. "A consort, even. Of course, they usually still take wives, but hopefully I can put them off until I've ended the succession for good."

"A consort?" Dimitri asked, eyes widening. "You mean—" He smiled faintly. "Is that a proposal?"

"Was it?" Claude asked, looking thoughtful.

"If it was, it was terrible," Dimitri accused.

Claude burst out laughing. "It was, wasn't it?" He grinned, and bent down to kiss Dimitri's smile. "Better keep a ready ear out then, for when I find a prettier way of putting it."

Dimitri frowned. "You're not going to let me answer now?"

"No, love," Claude said, shaking his head. "Once your contract is up, perhaps."

"You know, I could just propose to you."

"A concubine, propose to his King?" Claude winked. "Highly irregular."

Warmth rushed to Dimitri's face. "People would find it improper, I take it."

" _Very_ improper," Claude said with a grin, obviously enjoying himself. He gave Dimitri's shoulder an encouraging pat. "Come, I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

They went to dinner without further incident, after which they spent several warm, companionable hours on the terrace, watching the stars slowly turn above them while they sipped old, spiced wine and talked of nothing in particular. The smell of fruit trees made the night fragrant, and when they finally retired to their rooms, the open windows brought in the scent of rose and calendula. 

"Do you want to make love?" Claude asked, pulling Dimitri down onto the bed with him. "Or just lie here?"

Dimitri lifted Claude's hand, kissing his fingertips one by one. "Have you the energy for something more athletic?"

Claude smiled lazily. "I confess, my head is a little muddled."

"A shame," Dimitri murmured. He turned his head and kissed Claude's palm, mouth lingering against the base of his thumb. "I wanted to feel you inside me again. It has been too long."

"Oh." Claude inhaled sharply. "It has."

Dimitri smiled. "Will you take me, beloved?" He began to move his lips down Claude's wrist, pressing a lingering kiss against his pulse, before moving along the inside of his forearm. "Remind me who I belong to."

Claude frowned. "You don't belong to me, love."

"Please," Dimitri whispered, closing his eyes tightly. He lowered his head, pressing his face into the warmth of Claude's skin, the softness of his abdomen. "Please, Claude. Claim me, own me—"

"Shh, shh," Claude shushed gently. He urged Dimitri up, rising to meet him so they could join in a kiss. "Anything you want, love." He laughed softly. "Though if you don't object, I'll let you do the hard work. I'm exhausted."

Dimitri's brow creased. "Are you sure? If you're too tired—"

Claude grinned and kissed him again, quick before he could protest any further. "I'll be fine." He smiled and let his fingers trail down over Dimitri's chest, circling his nipple with a fingertip. "Besides, I enjoy the sight of you putting yourself on display for me."

"Very well," Dimitri agreed, flushing slightly. He smiled as he glanced away. "I—enjoy it too." 

"Even better," Claude murmured, drawing him down to kiss his cheek. 

They progressed slowly. Claude seemed content mostly to watch, occasionally reaching out to touch Dimitri, almost as though reminding him that he was there. Using the oil they had brought, Dimitri worked himself open with practised ease, before sitting astride Claude's hips and sinking down on him slowly.

"Mitya," Claude groaned, his fingers clutching at Dimitri's thighs. "Ah—! Mm, you're so beautiful."

Dimitri leaned his weight back and started to move, riding Claude's cock with patient determination. He was in no hurry, and Claude didn't seem to be either, and after a minute or so they settled into an easy rhythm, their movements unhurried. Claude's voice was soft as he murmured encouragement and praise, but his enjoyment was clear on his face, and Dimitri found himself watching the minute shifts in Claude's expression, reading his body the way he'd grown used to doing over the years. 

Dimitri reached his climax suddenly. It rolled over him, unexpected and overwhelming, and he clung to Claude's hand as he shuddered and let out a low, deep cry of satisfaction. Claude eased him down as he descended from his peak, cupping his hands around Dimitri's face and the back of his neck and cradling him as his breathing slowed. 

"I never tire of that sight," Claude murmured, his lips gentle against Dimitri's brow. 

Dimitri gave a soft huff of laughter. "I'm glad." He brushed his fingertips slowly across Claude's chest, moving his fingers through the soft curls of hair. "You have not yet spent?"

Claude shook his head. "I was enjoying the show." He slid his hand down to grasp Dimitri's thigh, hitching it up higher against his hip. "And I think I've gotten a second wind."

Dimitri yelped as Claude rolled him over, holding his hips up off the bed, but then he laughed as Claude began to fuck him, and reached overhead to grab at the sheets. "Claude—ah! Mm, Claude—"

"You're—perfect—" Claude panted, pressing into him with slow, even strokes. 

Dimitri laughed, feeling loose and carefree for once, his skin tingling as though he were under the midday sun. "Not as perfect as you."

Their coupling ended at last, drawn out and messy, with a great deal of murmured praise and affirmation. They lay together after, sticky and sated, still breathing in the heady scents of the flowers outside. 

"All I want," Claude whispered, as they lay in the darkness, "is to forge a better world."

Dimitri rolled over to press his face into Claude's neck, laying a hand over his heart. "I know," he whispered. "But do it in the morning."

Claude snorted. "Yes, my love." He lifted Dimitri's hand and kissed his palm. "Sleep well."

**Author's Note:**

> [share the fic](https://twitter.com/notallbees/status/1297281570685046784) | [share the art](https://twitter.com/otomeprotag/status/1297281442653835265) | [read my dimiclaude fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=33280939&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&fandom_id=23985107&user_id=notallbees)


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